Improvement in amalgamators



S. L. NEWBERRY.

Amalgamator.

No. 204,447. Patented Jun 1:878.

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I a l o WITNESSES V NTOR:

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ATTORNEYS.

{j NPETERS. FHOTOUTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON D C,

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIGE.

SQUIERS L. NEWBERRY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

lM-PROVEM ENT IN AMALGAMATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 204,447, dated June 4, 1878; application filed March 14, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Sournns L. Nnwnnnnv, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Amalgamator, of which the following is a specification:

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section of my improved amalgamator on line as m, Fig. 2; and Fig. 2, a plan view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to furnish, for the purpose of working 0E gold-bearing sand in rapid, effective, and economical manner, an improved amalgamating apparatus, that separates the gold particles from the sand or dirt and amalgamates them, while the sand is worked oft above the same.

The invention will first be described in connection with the drawing, and then pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawing, A represents a cylindrical receptacle of suitable size, that is closed at the bottom and open at the top. On a step-shaped bearing in the bottom, and in a bearing of a diametrical cross-piece at the top of the receptacle A, is supported the center shaft of the agitator B, to which a vibratory motion is imparted by a pinion-and-segment gear at the upper end, or by other equivalent mechanism.

The receptacle A is connected to a feedtube, 0, that enters into the receptacle near the bottom thereof, and which is charged at the top with the gold-bearin g sand or dirt by means of a hopper, C.

When the feed-tube is charged, a tightlyfitting plunger, D, at the lower end of a hollow plunger-rod, D, is lowered by means of a rack and pinion or other device operated by a hand-crank.

The plunger D is provided with a central valve, a, whose stem or spindle extends through the hollow plunger-rod, and is supported at the upper end by a spiral or other spring, b.

The spring-cushioned valve serves for the purpose of admitting air to the feed-tube when the plunger is desired to be raised out of the same for the purpose of receiving a new charge.

The lower end of the feed-tube, inside of the receptacle, is cut off at the lower part, the upper part being extended to near the center of the receptacle, and brought into close proximity to shorter stirrer-arms d at the lower part of the agitator B.

The sand is taken up by the shorter arms at the lower part of the receptacle, and conducted from the same to the longer stirrerarms at the upper part of the agitator. At or near the level of the upper end of the agitator the receptacle is arranged with a dischargespout, e, through which the same is worked oft to the outside.

The operation of the amalgamator is as follows: The plunger is first withdrawn from the feed-tube, and the gold-bearing sand or dirt then charged into the same. A small quantity of water is then placed in the tube to act as cushion, and the plunger lowered by means of the crank and gear, so as to force the sand gradually into the receptacle A. It is there taken up by the agitator in the receptacle, and mixed intimately with the quicksilver, first by the action of the shorter arms, and then by the action of the longer bristles. The vibratory action of the agitator beats up the sand, and causes the perfect amalgamating and settling of the gold particles. On the sand in the receptacle is placed a head of wator, for the purpose of keeping the quicksilver at the lower part of the receptacle below the discharge-spout, and producing the working off of the sand without any loss of quicksilver, the sand floating on the quicksilver, and the water serving as a kind of partition for the quicksilver and sand.

The receptacle is pivoted by side trunnions to suitable side supports E, and the feed-tube also supported on a suitable standard, E, so that the whole apparatus may be tilted for removing the amalgam and gold particles with great effectiveness to the retort, the apparatus producing the separation of almost all the gold particles contained in the sand or dirt.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination, with an amalgamatorreceptacle, A, of a vibratory agitator, B, having short arms 11 below the long ones, and a feed-tube, 0, extending into the receptacle to the edge of said short arms, as and for the pnrtat-or B, having; short arms below the long ones, pose described. and a feed-tube, C, extending to said short;

2. The combination, with receptacle A, agiarms, of the pinion on the upper end of agitater B, having: short arms (1 below the long tater-shaft, and an are-rack attached to an op Ones, and feed-tube C, extending into said l'eeratingnrm, as and for the purpose specified.

ceptaele to said short arms, of the dose-fitting SQUIERS L. NEVVBERRY. plunger 1), having spring-valve, as and for the 'itnesses: purpose set forth. (I. SEDGWIIK,

3. The combination, with receptacle A, ngi- IAIL GoEPEL. 

